


A Man of Action

by Mya_Stone



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Budding Love, Developing Relationship, Listen it's just cute interactions I'm not sure what to tag it as, Other, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:40:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26669095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mya_Stone/pseuds/Mya_Stone
Summary: "He's a man of action. " Emily said. You wondered if the two of you were talking about the same person. The Shane you knew was an unmotivated slob, whose best days were those he remembered to wear a clean shirt. "He is." She repeated again. "Don't listen to his words. Watch what he does, and you'll know what really matters to him."
Relationships: Shane/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	1. One Heart

Moving to Pelican Town was a mistake. 

The phrase “biting off more than you could chew” didn’t even begin to cover your situation. It was already the middle of summer, did you even notice spring passing you by? Clearing the overgrown farmland, planting crops, harvesting crops… you spent so much time working that you hardly had time for anything else. 

The city was lonely, sure. It was loud, too, so loud you could scream and never be heard. You were just another face in the crowd, a cog in a machine too large to be understood. The countryside was quiet and still, but if you screamed, there was no one around to hear you. Different environments, but still, the result was the same. You were invisible. 

Sweat dripped down your face and back as you made your way south. After spending the entire morning watering crops, wondering if the water would even get to the plants before it evaporated in the heat, you decided to put off clearing more land. After all, Robin had just finished that coop you ordered, and maybe it was time to bring some real life back to the farm. 

Marnie gave you the rundown on caring for chickens, in a tone that was much more animated than you had ever seen her before. “Now remember, they need to be shut in at night.” She warned. “They’ll roost instinctively, but they’re still vulnerable to predators.” You nodded solemnly, dread and anxiety taking root in the pit of your stomach. If anything happened to them, you were sure Marnie would never sell you another animal. She might not even speak to you again. Taking the box, you headed home, the gentle rustling and peeping from inside the box somewhat comforting.

The little chicks seemed to thrive in their new home. Already they had started growing in their feathers and pecked anything that might be food. You had heard they were descendants of dinosaurs, and honestly, looking at their bald heads and beady eyes, it made sense. Their soft coos brought some life to your day, and you were happy to have them. One day while you were watering the crops, a visitor came, and you almost didn’t hear him approach.

“Hey.” Shane called gruffly, his tone unfriendly, as though he were calling a taxi.

“Oh.” You responded, wiping the sweat from your forehead. You’d only met him a few times, and had never had a real conversation with him. He glared as he approached, bits of hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. Having never had a visitor before, you panicked lightly, then remembered how your grandmother reacted to strangers. “Can I get you a glass of iced tea?”

“Don’t act happy to see me.” He snapped. “Marnie sent me. I’m just here to see how your chickens are doing.”

“Sure. Coop’s over there.” You pointed. He walked in that direction while you put away your watering can and joined him. 

The birds approached him instantly, pecking curiously at his shoelaces, his socks, and his fingers, when he bent down to pet them. They lost interest quickly upon realizing he wasn’t food, scattering away to investigate other potential food sources. Shane didn’t speak as he investigated the coop. You leaned against the building, taking solace in the small amount of shade it provided. Still, you couldn’t help but feeling annoyed at the unwelcome judgment, even if Marnie was just doing her best for the birds.

When Shane came out of the coop, your arms were crossed and you said nothing to him. “What’s that mess?” Shane asked, pointing to a pile of discarded greens and vegetables.

“Dinner scraps.” You said bitterly. “Marnie said the chickens would like them.”

He nodded, disregarding your tone. “You eat healthy.” He remarked.

“I don’t.”

“What was that?”

You sighed, though it came out as a groan. “I don’t eat healthy. I haven’t had a real meal since I got here. But…” Your voice trailed a bit, as your eyes found your little raptors digging in the grass. “I tried to make an effort so they’d have some good scraps to eat.”

Shane followed your eyes, staring at the birds, with a solemn expression you didn’t quite understand. Silence stretched between the two of you in the hot, uncomfortable air. 

“Is that all you needed?” You said after a few moments. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Yeah.” He said angrily, not looking at you. He hopped the small fence and headed for the farm’s exit. You followed him, only as far as your fields were, picking up your watering can again. Shane left without looking back, though his sour mood seemed to have rubbed off on you.

Moving to Pelican Town was a mistake.


	2. Six Hearts

The sun had set hours ago, but you didn’t really notice. With no moon, the night sky was as dark as the caves, and you made the transition without breaking stride. Stars speckled the black-violet sky, and they would have been beautiful, but you didn’t look at them. One step in front of the other, the mountain steadily rose behind you, a dark silhouette against the mottled sky. The blood and slime spattered on your clothes stiffened in the cold breeze, threatening to obstruct your stride, but you did not slow your pace.

Lights still flickered in the windows as Pelican Town came into view. The older folks were asleep, as were the more responsible ones. The Saloon, of course, was still aglow with business, and offered some protection from the cold when you made your way inside. Luckily, the hour was late enough that there were few patrons. Gus’s eyes shot up the moment the door opened, obviously surprised to have more customers. Pity coated his face as he gave you the once over, but you didn’t notice that, either. You limped past Willy, who didn’t flinch at your appearance, though that may have been because he was asleep. 

Dropping a stack of coins on the table, you grumbled, “Whatever’s strong and cheap.” Gus took your money wordlessly, procuring a clean glass and filling it with a clear liquid. 

“Rough night?” Shane grumbled from across the bar. “You look like shit.”

“Yeah.” You downed the drink. “You must’ve had a normal day, cuz you always look like shit.”

He laughed, quiet and hoarse from years of too much drink. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” Silence stretched between you as you waited for Gus to refill your glass. When you downed the second drink, Shane spoke again. “So are you going to tell me what actually happened?”

“Probably not. Won’t change anything at this point.”

“Fair enough.” Shane bit the words out, glaring into his glass. Silence stretched as the late night became even later. It was oddly reminiscent of your first few nights in the Saloon. Your body ached then because it was unaccustomed to farm work, and Shane didn’t speak to you because he.... Well, he didn’t like change, surprises or new faces and you were all three. The two of you had almost become friends since then, as there wasn’t much to do after hours in this town except drink. But that friendship seemed far and away now. 

After your fourth glass, you sighed, pushing the empty glass away. You said a few words, slowly, meaningless at first, but it was something. You never looked up to see if anyone was listening, partially out of fear that no one was. But you strung together a series of events to explain the bruises on your face, the slime on your pants, the crick in your knee. There was disappointment in your words, of treasure seen and lost, but saying the words out loud seemed to lessen the sting. When your tale was finished, you simply stopped talking, the Saloon again growing quiet. 

“Four drinks to get the story out, eh?” Shane grumbled, dropping a few coins on the counter as he stood. “Used to be six. You’re getting soft.” You shrugged, too spent from the day and the drink to muster a retort. “Come on, Farmer. I’ll walk you home.”

The night air had more bite than you remembered, but the stars shone all the more brilliantly for it. You couldn’t look at them too long without losing your balance. “Figures you’d turn me into the responsible one.” Shane muttered, roughly taking your arm to keep you walking in a straight line. “That’s why the slimes got you. Head’s always looking at the stars, instead of at your feet.” 

It was easy enough to let Shane lead you home, his warm grip tugging you along as if he had somewhere he’d rather be. Though if you were being honest, you weren’t so far gone that you needed an escort. And yet, Shane walked you home anyway. That might have meaning, but you weren’t sober enough to understand. “I’ll walk you home next time.” You say, holding the doorknob of the old house. 

“Bah.” Shane responded, already cutting through the fields towards his own house, hands in his pockets as he hunched against the cold. You couldn’t see it, but there was a hit of a smile as he walked away. 


End file.
